Blair hints at strategy shift in war-on-terror
President says Taliban resurgence Afghan problem - Britain doubles aid to Pakistan
From Our Special Correspondent

LAHORE—British Prime Minister Tony Blair has indicated that the west’s approach to the “war on terror” had changed, as he and Pakistan’s leader pledged to bolster cooperation against extremism.
Blair was asked at a joint news conference Sunday after talks with President Pervez Musharraf whether the United States and its allies like Britain were winning the global fight against Islamic radicalism.
“We begin to win when we start fighting properly and I think we are now fighting properly. But we’ve got to do more,” said Blair, who is on his third visit to Pakistan since 2001. His official spokesman told reporters later that Blair was not criticising a previous approach or a particularly tactic.
Instead he said it referred to the “fuller appreciation” of what was required to fight extremism as part of a “broader global issue” that included the Middle East. Blair called for a change in western efforts to tackle extremism in a speech in Los Angeles in August, urging the use of “soft power” techniques like aid and economic development as much as military might. President General Pervez Musharraf Sunday underlined the need for political and economic measures alongwith military action for defeating militant Taliban and bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan.
“We believe that there is requirement of massive inflow of development funds there, some kind of Marshal plan,... billions of dollars should be put in there, for reconstruction efforts in South Eastern Region (Afghanistan) which is under turmoil at the moment,” he said while adressing a joint press conference with visiting British Prime Minister, Tony Blair at Governor House here Sunday afternoon.
Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri, Pakistani High Commissioner in the United Kingdom, Dr. Maleeha Lodhi and senior officials were also present on the occasion. President Musharraf said that the war on terrorism in Afghanistan could not be won by military action alone. “ We have to come up with a broader strategy and this strategy must involve political elements and reconstruction and development,” he said.
Responding to a question, he said , “I never said that war against Taliban is unwinable. I never believe in accepting defeat before an enemy. We must win it (war against terrorism),” Musharraf said. He said that Taliban problem was an Afghan problem, adding that its solution lies in what was done in Afghanistan and not what was being done in Pakistan.
“Pakistan is certainly taking action here against elements which are supporting whatever is happening in South Eastern region of Afghanistan,” President said. He said that Pakistan was doing much more than its capacity. “We have suffered casualties. We have suffered about 600 dead. Now if you think that we are suffering dead by not doing any thing, or not doing enough, then we are not seeing reality,” he said.
He said that there was a need to look at realities, keep re-adjusting strategies, keep finding new solutions to the problem and that is what Pakistan is doing. “Our desires and our intentions are very clear. We have to fight terrorism and extremism. We have to fight militant Taliban,” he said.
He said that Pakistan was the only country which is trying to implement the whole package which meant addressing all the aspects including military, political, administrative and also reconstruction. “More actions are required on Afghanistan side because the war would be won on Afghanistan side. Because Taliban problem is on Afghanistan side and the battle has to be won on Afghanistan side,” President said.
President Musharraf said that Pakistan was against terrorism, extremism and Talebanization. “Pakistanis are against any kind of Talebanization that is backward culture of rejecting democracy and imposing very obscurantistic kind of culture on our society,” he said. He said that even in Afghanistan, people would not like it, adding that Pakistan rejected Talebanization. President Musharraf said that the resolution of Palestine issue would help overcome what was happening in Iraq and Lebanon and Afghanistan besides creating effect against international terrorism.
Talking about his meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, President Musharraf said that there was consensus of views on the issues of bilateral and international nature. He said that the ways to increase Pak-British trade and economic relations was also discussed on this occasion.
“During the meeting, I also informed the British Prime Minister on our relations with India and efforts to resolve issues including Siachen, Sir Creek and Kashmir,” he said. He hoped that the meeting with British Prime Minister would go a long way in strengthening Pak-British relations.
Speaking on the occasion, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that both United Kingdom and Pakistan were facing the threats of terrorism and extremism, adding that the cooperation with Pakistan in dealing with these issues had increased over the past two years.
“We are facing a threat from people who want to Talibanise our society, to prevent our society from making progress,” he said. To check terrorism and extremism, Blair said that there was a need to take necessary security measures and support the democratic will of the people in Iraq and Afghanistan. Referring to the debate on the ways to tackle global terrorism, he said that the solution to this problem had different aspects. “Some of which pertain to security and some of which are ideas whcih callenge the ideology of extremism and some of which have to do with reconstruction and development with economic progress,” Tony Blair said. British Prime Minister appreciated President Musharraf for launching a programme for the promotion of enlightened moderation in the society.
Responding to a question, Prime Minister Blair said it would take some time to defeat terrorism in Afghanistan. “But sooner we start fighting the battle to defeat it, the sooner we will achieve victory in it,” he maintained. He said that Afghan people had rejected Taliban culture in the recently held elections.
About NATO’s efforts to combat terrorism and extremism in Afghanistan, he said that NATO’s summit meeting being held this month would analyse what more was need to be done in Afghanistan. “There is no doubt about our commitment, what we are doing to support Afghanistan,” he added. He said that reconstruction and development was need to be done alongwith security measures in Afghanistan. Blair said that Pakistan like Britain and other countries also wanted to see stability in Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Blair warmly thanked President Musharraf for Pakistan’s important role in helping to foil the Heathrow bomb plot in August last. Tony Blair expressed gratitude for the increasingly close cooperation of the relevant Pakistan authorities with judicial cases in the UK. The Prime Minister offered President Pervez Musharraf the United Kingdom’s full support in countering terrorism including exchanges on forensic training, investigating financing of terrorism and sharing of crisis management expertise.